Computer mouse switch going bad

My mouse left button is getting real flakey. I took the whole thing apart and cleaned everything. It still dont work all the time, so I guess that switch is going bad. There dont seem to be any place to get some contact cleaner inside of it.

Have any of you ever found a way to repair these switches?

Yea, I know computer mice are cheap, but I need a PS/2 connector and want a ball mouse. I dont like the infared mice, and can not use a USB mouse on my Windows 98 computer.

So, I have to order this on ebay since all the ones in the stores are USB and infared these days.

So, until I can get one from ebay, is there any temporary fix? (The other mouse functions work fine).

Reply to
oldschool
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Walmart has a USB mouse for $4.79 USD

Reply to
Tom Biasi

Does it not have USB ports? Disregarding the utter ridiculousness of still using Windows 98 in 2018, it supports USB just fine (since Windows

95 OSR 2.1, around 1997 - 21 years ago nearly).

Well what sort of switch is it? The crystal ball is a bit cloudy on this one.

Reply to
Mary-Jane Rottencrotch

I have replaced some of those switches in a few mice. The electronic lab had them in stock. So somebody is selling them. Try google...... Yep. try mouse microswitch in picture mode. The tiny square ones are inside most mice.

Reply to
Sjouke Burry

98 usb support is not ideal, though it works adequately with nusb3.1 installed. The point is that USB mice are not readable by 98 era machines until the OS has booted and loaded the USB driver. P/S2 & D9 mice are superior in this respect.

Yes, either open the switch and clean the contacts or replace it. And always have a spare mouse, they never last forever. FWIW with ball mice, the earlier D9 ones generally work much better IME.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

You get a "F" for reading comprehension. :)

I SAID: I need a PS/2 mouse. I probably have 4 USB mice, which are not suitable for my needs.

I did just find they make adaptors, to convert a USB mouse to PS/2. I ordered one on ebay for about $3. But until I get it, I have to keep fighting with this mouse, which works fine for awhile, then refuses to do anything till I beat the crap out of that button a dozen times or more.....

Tomorrow I plan to go to Goodwill. They usually have mice.... I'll probably buy several of them, if they have any PS/2 ones. Seems that are getting hard to find....

I never understood the reasoning for USB mice or keyboards. Many computers only have 2 USB ports. Why waste them for a mouse or keyboard when there are PS/2 ports.... One of my computers had both a USB mouse and keyboard, and only had 2 USB ports. In order to use a flash drive I had to keep unplugging either the mouse or keyboard.... Apparently these are more "Designed by idiots" products.

Reply to
oldschool

Predominately PS/2 mice and keyboards.

You do know they make USB hubs right?

--
"I am a river to my people." 
Jeff-1.0 
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Reply to
Fox's Mercantile

The switch inside is called a tact-switch and these are readily available a nd can be installed easily by anyone with soldering skills. The switches t hemselves are not "cleanable" typically. In most cases the small metal dia phragm gets fatigued and won't work properly. These switches usually cost less than $1

Dan

Reply to
dansabrservices

snipped-for-privacy@tubes.com wrote on 1/13/2018 4:29 PM:

I don't mean to pick on you, but there are so many things wrong with this post.

Hey, I have a 91 year old friend who is blind and can't use his Windows 98 computer anymore. If you want it, its yours for the shipping. It includes a wired ball mouse I'm sure. Heck, I probably have a few of those around here if I dig a bit.

Oh yeah, they make PS/2 to USB adapters. They are maybe a buck.

--
Rick C 

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Reply to
rickman

snipped-for-privacy@tubes.com wrote on 1/13/2018 5:50 PM:

By "many computers" you mean many computers running Windows 98, right? My laptop has four USB Ports. I don't think I've seen one that has less than three in the last 10 years.

--
Rick C 

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Reply to
rickman

I never even considered that would be a problem. I guess it was for you. Sorry I was of no help. You have antique equipment and just thought you could make use of modern available devices.

Reply to
Tom Biasi

It's just another BS post from this AH.

Reply to
Tom Biasi

Ayup.

--
"I am a river to my people." 
Jeff-1.0 
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Reply to
Fox's Mercantile

It's not my nature to say these things Jeff but I'm a little off my game today.

Reply to
Tom Biasi

Cue to question from yesteryear "What's hub and will it work on my win98?"

Reply to
Rheilly Phoull

I always regret throwing stuff away. I have tossed several mice over the years that probably still had usable switches. From what you said, the price seems right, but only if it's free shipping. Much of the time shipping a $1 item can cost as much as $10, or maybe even more. But I will hang on to this mouse for now till I find a switch to use. Soldering it is no problem.

Reply to
oldschool

Well yeah.

Notwithstanding, here's the USB to PS/2 adapter you need.

And for your 2-USB Port box, you can buy one of these: That will free up the 2nd USB port for you flash drives.

--
"I am a river to my people." 
Jeff-1.0 
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Reply to
Fox's Mercantile

A myth for the most part, but shipping is not free. When some says "Free shipping" the shipping cost is added to the part.

--
"I am a river to my people." 
Jeff-1.0 
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Reply to
Fox's Mercantile

Sometimes those work, sometimes not. It depends on what the mouse & PC are capable of.

It's a bit cheaper to lose the ps/2 ports, and end users assume USB mice are somehow better, although they're really worse. And fwiw you can plug the mouse & keyboard into any usb port.

NT

Reply to
tabbypurr

I always regret throwing stuff away. I have tossed several mice over the

Yeah, but... there's flat buttons and raised ones, 5mm square and 8mm square, surface mount and through-hole, and probably a dozen other variants.

Sometimes the switch is just like one in my (sizeable) junque collection, sometimes not. Every old dead VCR has a dozen, but that's not a dozen different types, just a dozen examples.

Sometimes, too, it's a plastics-getting-sticky problem, and the switch is fine if you just smear a tiny bit of silicone grease where the friction is.

Reply to
whit3rd

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